One gets so afraid: Latino families and asthma management--an exploratory study.

Introduction: This study explored Latino family experiences, issues, and needs in caring for a child with asthma as expressed by Latino parents of children with asthma.

Methods: Eight families represented by 7 women and 2 men, primarily of Mexican descent, participated in the study. All families had at least one child enrolled in preschools in the East Los Angeles area. The study had an exploratory design and used ethnographic group and individual interview techniques to discover the parents' experiences in managing their child's asthma and the meaning asthma has for their families. All interviews were conducted in Spanish.

Results: Several common themes emerged from the data: (a) fear, "I got scared"; (b) the acute care experience, "I was not told what to do, nothing"; (c) knowledge, "I did not know anything about asthma"; and (d) parent alternative strategies or strengths, "We want to do what is best. ... we need to be prepared."

Discussion: Strength emerged from fear. The parents were resourceful and began developing alternative strategies to assist them in their care for their child with asthma. The findings emphasize the need for more opportunities for culturally sensitive asthma education and community health care resources such as mobile asthma treatment centers and promotora programs.